“The Wei and Fan families, aspirations of Hedong.

— This was later spoken by Du Ji.

Now it’s a bit inferior, but not far apart.

If we trace back to history, after Wei Gao died of illness on the way to the court’s plea in Heyi, he moved here with his family, inheriting Wei Gao’s Confucianism, gradually becoming a local gentry in Hedong.

Suddenly hearing the words ‘Hedong Wei’ made Qiao Yan’s pen, which had been hesitating due to worries, pause. “Please invite him in.”

The Hedong Wei family played a significant role in pacifying the Yellow Turban Rebellion outside the eight passes under the jurisdiction of Sili.

As far as Qiao Yan knew, they had also gained considerable prestige within Hedong commandery.

Their sudden visit was indeed unexpected.

The identity of the visitor was equally surprising.

Shortly after Xu Fu went to fetch the person, Qiao Yan saw a young man in his early twenties stride into the tent, standing before her as the tent flap opened.

“A legitimate descendant of the Hedong Wei family has come to visit, and you’ve only sent someone?” Qiao Yan looked up at him and asked.

The young man cupped his hand in salute to her and replied, “Marquis Qiao indeed has keen insight.”

Since he had already acknowledged his identity, he continued, “Wei Ji of Hedong pays respects to Marquis Qiao. Earlier, when mentioning that the Wei family had sent someone, it was only because Wei Ji’s whereabouts were inconvenient to be widely known. It’s just that Marquis has extraordinary vision and straightforwardly recognized my identity.”

This was not merely a matter of keen insight.

As Qiao Yan gestured for him to sit down, she replied, “I’ve long heard that the Wei family’s sons are of a bright and impressive demeanor, not like ordinary people. How could you be just a messenger sent here.”

Wei Ji took his seat as he intended, and as Qiao Yan had described, he appeared quite elegant and spirited.

After adjusting his sitting posture, he spoke, “Marquis Qiao overpraises me; Wei Ji is humbled.”

There really was no need to be so humble.

Whether before crossing over or after arriving in Bingzhou, Qiao Yan had heard of Wei Ji’s name.

Among the calligraphy masters who would leave their names in the future of Cao Wei, only Wei Ji could match Zhong Yao.

He became famous in his youth and now has a reputation spread throughout Hedong.

It was not just because he was a young genius but also because of his dedication to cursive script, which gave him a unique scholarly and unrestrained demeanor.

Who sends such a person as an ordinary ‘messenger’?

“‘Wait a moment.’

When such a figure says ‘Marquis Qiao has keen insight,’ Qiao Yan couldn’t help but wonder if these descendants of the Wei family had some mistaken notion about themselves.

If they didn’t recognize her, there must be something fishy going on.

But Wei Ji, sitting here, looked like an exceptionally beautiful ornament.

Qiao Yan didn’t dare to simply view him as a mere decoration.

During the relative calm in the north, when the common people who fled during Dong Zhuo’s chaotic rule returned to Guanzhong, Wei Ji wrote a letter to Xun Yu, suggesting to increase the number of Imperial Corps Commandants to properly manage these returning refugees.

Before the decision on the appointment of the Imperial Corps Commandant was made, he governed Guanzhong and only returned after the various regions of Guanzhong were pacified.

Only then did he rise to the position of a high-ranking official.

He was truly a talent in governance.

For such a person to come knocking on her door, it obviously wasn’t because she had previously ventured into Hedong’s territory during her attack on the Hedong bandits.

Now stationed in Pingzhou County, just a step away from Hedong Commandery, she welcomed this neighbor’s greeting.

He must have something important to discuss.

Such matters wouldn’t change because of his young age; after all, he was already an adult, and just standing here represented the stance of the Wei family of Hedong.

Sure enough, Qiao Yan soon heard him say, “Wei Ji has come to borrow troops from Marquis Qiao.”

Wei Ji coming at such a time clearly wasn’t for a friendly visit.

Qiao Yan showed no emotion on her face and simply replied, “Since Brother Wei Ji has come so quickly, I assume you’ve already thought through your reasons for borrowing troops. Why don’t you tell me all about it.”

Wei Ji did indeed arrive very quickly.

From Qiao Yan driving the Hedong bandits to Yang Feng’s territory to now, it had only been a little over a day.

In this short time, it was enough for news of her stationing troops to spread south to the ears of those Hedong bandits and north to the Prefect of Xihe Commandery.

But it wasn’t enough time for Wei Ji to arrive at Hedong’s territory, have consultations within this prestigious family, and then send their eldest son to negotiate.

Qiao Yan even felt that Wei Ji had set off even before news of her achievements had reached the Wei family.

This meant that their decision to borrow troops might have been made even before Qiao Yan’s military action.

As Wei Ji examined the expression of the young lady in front of him, seeing no anger but still a somewhat unsettling demeanor, he couldn’t help but inwardly marvel, ‘Famed men are not without reason.’ With a respectful tone.

He replied “The Wei family comes to borrow troops sincerely and has no intention of hiding it from Marquis Qiao. This idea stemmed from Marquis Qiao’s decisive rescue battle in the valley a few days ago.”

The valley

“Battle?”

Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow.

At that time, the battle left no survivors among the Hedong bandits.

Therefore, they only knew that their men had died under the forces of Leping.

They did not know that the military leader was not Zhao Yun, but Qiao Yan.

But some people knew about it.

Wei Ji immediately said, “Among this merchant caravan are personnel from my Wei family in Hedong who travel between the Inspectorate and Bingzhou.”

“Marquis Qiao, please do not question why the Wei family would shelter under someone else’s merchant caravan. If you must ask, you might as well inquire about the East Sea Mi family’s thoughts.”

“In any case, this person wrote about Marquis Qiao’s achievements in a letter, which he sent to the Wei family.

Wei Ji dare not speculate on Marquis Qiao’s intentions, only knowing that Marquis Qiao is not bound by conventions.

Since she has now been allowed to leave confinement, she must have a plan to deal with the Hedong bandits.

So, when she speaks of wanting to eradicate the bandits, it is certainly not just a temporary measure to maintain peace on the trade routes.”

Seeing Qiao Yan’s gesture to continue, he relaxed a little and continued:

“However, the Hedong bandits roam the mountains, unlike Leping County, where traps can be set.

They are likely to escape capture.

With Marquis Qiao’s reputation, these bandits will surely not dare to attack Bingzhou directly; instead, they may target wealthy households in Hedong.

For the Wei family’s self-preservation, they can only come to seek Marquis Qiao’s assistance.”

Wei Ji sighed, “Marquis Qiao may be thinking that with the Wei family’s strength and the presence of their retainers, why fear mere bandits?

But the Wei family started with calligraphy, lacks high officials in the court, and now faces frequent natural disasters.

They have many disciples and cannot really support them all.

There may be some with ulterior motives among them.

It might be better to disband some of the retainers early and keep only those loyal to the Wei family, to guard against any unforeseen events.”

“If it were ordinary bandits, they wouldn’t be feared. But if Marquis Qiao really defeats the Hedong bandits, they would be desperate bandits at the end of their rope.

Such fierce predators cannot be held back by the Wei family’s stronghold.”

Having said this, he stood up from his seat again and bowed to Qiao Yan. “Wei Ji has come boldly for this matter.

The trouble of the Hedong bandits is beyond the control of the provincial government, causing the harm we see today.

It is not because of the Wei family’s speculation that troops are being mobilized.

Only Marquis Qiao dares to offend the provincial governor to protect the people’s livelihoods. I believe there is a possibility of borrowing troops.”

From his serious expression at this moment, it seemed that Wei Ji’s conclusion was the result of their thorough analysis.

Indeed, the Wei family in Hedong was not like another Wei from the same region, capable of producing talents like Fenglang Juxu.

Their talents lay in governance and literary arts.

So, after foresightfully judging the potential danger, quickly finding a support for themselves was quite common.

“However, the Wei family cannot represent the people of an entire commandery.”

If it were someone else here, faced with Wei Ji’s eloquence and demeanor, they might have shown some emotional response.

But Qiao Yan, coldly interrupted his words.

Hearing this abrupt remark, Wei Ji’s usually elegant face showed a hint of disappointment, but he continued, “Perhaps that was true before I came here. But now, it may not be so.”

He looked up at Qiao Yan, his tone firm, “May I ask, Marquis Qiao, do you truly believe it was your inability to pursue that allowed the two hedong leaders to escape?”

Qiao Yan smiled faintly and did not deny his assertion.

Too many clever people these days indeed posed some trouble.

If not for the significant advantage in this current battle situation and Wei Ji’s identity, which made it highly improbable for him to choose to ally with the hedong bandits and thereby reveal her secrets, Qiao Yan would have already taken him down.

She countered, “What if it is, and what if it isn’t?”

Wei Ji could confirm that his judgment upon arriving in Bingzhou was correct based on the information he gathered.

He calmly replied, “Marquis Qiao intends to sit back and watch the tigers fight, positioning herself as the choice for the enemy after their internal struggles. Therefore, supporting the Wei family now might just be a shortcut.”

“With all sides converging, food will surely be scarce. The only way is to plunder Hedong. Plundering a county requires siege, which is not easy, while plundering villages yields far less than plundering the strongholds of the wealthy families. The Wei family in Hedong is not as well defended as the Fan family, making it the best choice.”

“If Marquis Qiao is willing to lend troops and defeat these bandits outside the Wei family’s stronghold, exacerbating their plight, perhaps they can return to Leping sooner.”

Having said this, Wei Ji bowed again, “I am humble and pray that Marquis Qiao considers this carefully.”

Qiao Yan couldn’t help but applaud lightly.

Well done!

Wei Ji’s speech not only expressed the necessity of her actions but also preserved the dignity of the Wei family.

It was truly a beautifully crafted speech.

In fact, what he said was not wrong.

Qiao Yan did indeed need to intercept some of the Hedong bandits’ attempts to plunder grain in Hedong.

However —

“Brother Yu said something slightly biased,” Qiao Yan said calmly, “If we want to provoke the bandits’ internal conflicts, it seems that letting them gain nothing in Hedong isn’t necessarily the best option. Even if that were the case, with fierce tigers lurking nearby, they would still be an unstoppable force.”

Between her lifted gaze and her youthful face, a surprising determination shone through.

“To my mind, the most appropriate scenario would be to ensure that during their plundering of Hedong, one group gains significantly, while the rest return empty-handed. So why shouldn’t I allow this successful group to take a bite out of the Wei family?”

“Does Brother Yu agree with this reasoning?”

Wei Ji’s face turned pale.

His mind raced through this possibility, suddenly realizing that leaving these Hedong bandits with no gains would indeed stoke internal discontent more effectively than an equal distribution of loot.

This was a more cunning trap.

As for whether the Wei family had already learned of her plan? That wasn’t a leverage he could use to threaten her.

In current circumstances, only those with troops at their command held true authority, and Qiao Yan clearly fell into that category.

Her actions had demonstrated her ability not only to control the army but also to achieve military successes.

Yet, just as he panicked, Wei Ji saw Qiao Yan change from her earlier serious demeanor to a relaxed expression.

Even her tone softened. “But I do enjoy dealing with smart people, so this matter of borrowing troops can be negotiated.”

What a turnaround!

Wei Ji quickly asked, “Then may I ask, Marquis Qiao, what compensation would the Wei family need to provide if you agree to lend us troops?”

He was aware that with Qiao Yan’s earlier statement, the initiative had shifted.

But in times of crisis, whether to retain initiative or preserve the family estate was not a difficult choice.

What puzzled him, though, was why Qiao Yan didn’t immediately give an answer but instead looked at his face.

Yet, he couldn’t blame her for thinking too much; after all, she had suddenly pondered something.

Wei Ji was known as Bo Yu, and if she remembered correctly, the future son-in-law of Cai Zhao, Cai Zhaoyi, would be the younger brother of Wei Zhongdao of Hedong.

Given her concern for Zhao Ji, Qiao Yan was actually contemplating whether to try to avoid a marriage that lasted only a year before ending in the man’s death.

But looking at Wei Ji’s face and the state of the Wei family’s reputation, Qiao Yan felt that she didn’t need to be so harsh.

If Wei Bo Yu acted this way, his younger brother Wei Zhongdao might not be too bad, even if he was physically weaker.